Small Comforts
by Icy0Raine
Summary: Zabuza finds peace in watching Haku sleep, after almost losing him during a battle the day before. Takes place in canon, a long time before they die in the beginning of the series. Slight OOC, implied violence, shounen ai  kiss . Actual G-rating.


The feeling of unease was never fully shaken off. There are some things you just can't forget easily. Scenarios and memories flooded Zabuza's mind, and at that moment, there was nothing that could be done to stop him from shaking. He had almost lost Haku that day, the boy was resting next to him, bandaged from his neck to his hips. Zabuza rolled over in the bed they shared, Haku's breathing was a bit uneven, even in his sleep.

He had almost lost him, and that was what had him shaking. He would never admit it, even to Haku, but he saw him as so much more than a simple tool. He had tried for so long to deny the feelings, but in the end, there was nothing else he could do than to accept them. He watched Haku sleep, watching him breathe unevenly through parted lips. He was very beautiful, and looked very serene and at ease in his sleep.

He vaguely wondered if he was in any pain. He didn't know for sure, Haku never told him when something hurt, and never showed any signs of pain. He reached over and brushed Haku's hair away from his face, stroking the smooth skin of Haku's cheek. He stilled when he heard Haku whisper his name, turning his face toward the warm, calloused hand. Zabuza couldn't help but smile.

A lot can happen in just ten years, and Haku had grown very attached to Zabuza. Every waking moment was spent making sure Zabuza was as happy as he was going to get, and Zabuza knew that the boy would go to the ends of the world just to serve him and be useful. Zabuza rested his head in his hand, propped up by his elbow. It was never like this when Haku came out of a battle unharmed. On those nights, Zabuza didn't worry if Haku would ever wake up again, or if he was in pain.

Neither of them had expected such experienced ANBU, or even to be ambushed. It was unexpected, and though they had managed to mow them down, Haku had still gotten hurt. Zabuza himself wasn't as familiar with medicinal herbs as Haku, and didn't exactly know which ones would lessen pain, but he did know which ones induced sleep. He frowned then, Haku's uneven breathing had stalled. He watched as brown eyes fluttered open, a groan of pain passing through parted lips.

"Z-Zabuza-san..." Haku whispered. "Don't move, you'll reopen your wounds." Zabuza said sternly, gently pushing Haku to lay back down. "It hurts..." Haku whimpered, sucking in a sharp breath. "I'm sorry. I'll go get something to make it hurt less." he got up, searching through their belongings and coming across the ointment Haku had made just days before. He vaguely remembered Haku telling him about the numbing and healing properties of the herbs he had used to make it.

He made his way back to the bed. "I need you to sit up so that I can unwrap your bandages." He said in a rough voice. Haku winced, but managed to sit up straight. Zabuza worked carefully, unwrapping the bandages. He heard Haku giggle. "What is it?" He asked. "Oh, it's nothing, Zabuza-san." Zabuza grinned, smoothing his hands over Haku's back, Haku letting out a content sigh, despite the pain.

Zabuza carefully spread the ointment over every wound, feeling Haku relax as it immediately numbed and stopped the pain. "Thank you, Zabuza-san. I apologize for being weak." Zabuza shook his head. "You did your best, and kept going despite injury." Zabuza said softly, wrapping clean bandages around Haku before gently pulling him back against him. His arms wrapped carefully around Haku's waist, chin resting on top of Haku's head.

"Zabuza-san..." Haku choked out. He began to shake, and Zabuza realized he was crying. He reached up with one hand, tilting Haku's head back a bit. He couldn't help it, didn't want to resist any longer. He let Haku pull the bandages off of his face before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently against Haku's. Haku's eyes widened before sliding shut, reveling in his first kiss. He was glad it was with Zabuza, he couldn't imagine ever kissing anyone else.

Zabuza pulled away first, shifting to lay down before gently pulling Haku into his arms. "We'll stay here as long as we can, while you heal." Haku nodded, curling into Zabuza's chest. They both drifted off to sleep, content and warm while the snow fell outside.


End file.
